Accurate rendering of many real-world objects requires modeling subsurface scattering effects to capture translucent appearance. Examples of translucent materials include, but are certainly not limited to milk, ketchup, jade, marble, plastic, etc. One important class of translucent materials, namely organic materials such as plant leaves and human skin, include multiple translucent layers. Human skin, in particular, presents a challenge for realistic rendering.
In the past, prior art systems have approximated the aforementioned subsurface scattering effects using diffusion profiles. Typically, such diffusion profiles have been captured by illuminating an object with a laser and photographing a fall off using high dynamic range (HDR) lighting techniques, etc. These systems rely on the use of expensive lasers, cameras, etc. Moreover, such laser-based systems exhibit difficulty when approximating multi-layer profiles.
There is thus a need for addressing these and/or other issues associated with the prior art.